Jeff Bridges Reveals Iron Monger Was Supposed to Live in ‘Iron Man’

In 2008, the original Iron Man film proved to be a rather seminal event release in the history of comic book films. It singlehandedly gave birth to both the most profitable superhero at the movies today as well as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, while also breathing new life into the career of its star, Robert Downey, Jr. While Marvel Studios films are generally not considered overly memorable for the choice of their villains, Jeff Bridges’ role as Tony’s former partner and confidante Obadiah Stane, aka Iron Monger, was largely seen as a highlight to an already solid cast. Unfortunately for the movie version of the Marvel Universe, Stane met his end at the climax of that first Iron Man film.

Now, though, we know that things could’ve ended pretty differently.

During a Q&A with the actor on IGN’s Facebook page, Bridges laid out a scenario previously unknown to the observers of the Marvel films: one that saw Stane live beyond the end of the first film in the series. He said,

When I was hired on, it was scripted that Obadiah would live, that when they opened his Iron Monger suit…he was not in it. Then, they decided to kill my ass off. Telling me ‘it’s a comic-fantasy, so who knows, your character could come back.’ I guess we’ll see…

This is definitely an interesting possibility, especially considering how far the Iron Man franchise has come, as well as the character’s inclusion in the Avengers. Could their be more Marvel Cinematic Universe stories featuring Stane causing trouble for Tony once again? Could Stane potentially have a place opposing the likes of other Avengers like Captain America or Hawkeye? Given Marvel’s “villain problems” of the past, maybe seeing a unique team-up between Stane and Loki could be just what the doctor ordered for some future conflict.

For more on the future of Iron Man in this May’s Avengers: Age of Ultron and beyond, keep a tab open to GeekNation!